Washington Wizards News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) shoots the ball over Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Bub Carrington's Confidence Surges in Wizards' Long-Awaited Win

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Nov 26, 2025 1:10 PM ET

Advanced statistics have not been kind to Bub Carrington nearly a quarter of the way through his sophomore season.

He ranks dead last in box plus/minus (-7.5) and player efficiency rating (5.5) among qualified players from across the league by considerable margins, and his lack of impact has been palpable during his rocky minutes in the Washington Wizards' back court. He's even stuck out as a sore spot on a team that just endured a 14-game losing streak; his squad has sustained a brutal -22.15 net rating with him on the floor, but bumped that number all the way up to -4.96 during his time during Carrington's bench minutes.

The young guard's played much more of an off-ball role following his promising rookie season of high pick-and-roll usage, spending a majority of his reps as a shooter who hasn't gotten to his favorite spots nearly as often as he could. Suspicions of Carrington's drop in confidence have only been fueled by his minimized shot diet, and the minimal impact he's providing as a low-volume, albeit efficient, shooter hasn't offset his lack of rim pressure.

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It was telling when he remained off the ball even without Kyshawn George in the Wizards' lineup for their hosting of the Atlanta Hawks, remaining as that same secondary playmaker who did the majority of his passing in the open court. Yet despite the bump in priority compared to last season, Carrington provided some of his most promising two-way impact of the fall in the surprise 132-113 win.

A Shift in Carrington's Mindset

CJ McCollum, who enjoyed a 46-point outburst for his best game in a Wizards uniform, noticed a change in the prospect's approach.

"He wasn't hesitant tonight," he noted. "He’s continuing to figure out his balance between making plays, getting in the paint, and taking his own shots...we're not even a quarter through the season, what is this, game 16? Just a lot of growth that's gonna take place, and by the time we get to Christmas, he'll be much more comfortable."

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

He started strong, knocking down a few shots from deep to keep adding to the Wizards' hot shooting start. But unlike his red-hot teammates in McCollum and Corey Kispert, Carrington did his damage once the Hawks started making their own little run, and kept the away team at bay by hitting on two of Washington's 19 3-pointers on the evening.

That was satisfying to see for Wizards fans looking to see the team seal their first win in a month, but nothing new for Carrington, who's quietly posted an electric 46% 3-point percentage across 17 games.

More encouraging were his ventures into the midrange, where he returned to some of the shots that have made up the basis of his game in finding space off of the dribble and firing from where he was comfortable. Carrington's one-dribble pull-up was a sight for sore eyes, as he deployed a subtle drive fake to get Vít Krejčí in the air before he rose for a pretty jumper.

They're not the sort of shots that every coaching staff will encourage, but Carrington needs to do more off of the bounce to start intimidating defenses again. That aggression reflected in his handsy defense and willingness to make plays on both ends of the floor, finally reigniting some of the excitement he elicited entering the offseason. Add him to the extensive list of Wizards who walked away from the long-awaited victory with a few personal wins.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: